{"id":14651,"date":"2018-12-15T02:27:50","date_gmt":"2018-12-15T02:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=14651"},"modified":"2018-12-16T02:31:25","modified_gmt":"2018-12-16T02:31:25","slug":"how-salvation-armys-red-kettles-became-a-christmas-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/how-salvation-armys-red-kettles-became-a-christmas-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"How Salvation Army’s red kettles became a Christmas tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diane Winston<\/a>, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Tinseled trees and snowy landscapes are not the only signs of the upcoming holiday season. Red kettles, staffed by men and women in street clothes, Santa suits and Salvation Army uniforms also telegraph Christmastime. <\/p>\n

The Army is among America\u2019s top-grossing charities. In 2015, its 25,000 bell-ringers helped raise<\/a> an all-time high of US$149.6 million. That was part of the year\u2019s almost $3 billion revenue from bequests, grants, sales, in-kind donations and investments as well as direct contributions.<\/p>\n

William Booth, an English evangelist, founded the Salvation Army<\/a> in 1878 as a religious outreach to London\u2019s poor. How a British evangelical church became an American icon is an ongoing interest<\/a> of mine. <\/p>\n

Entry into the United States<\/h2>\n
\n \"\"
\n William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army.<\/span>
\n AP Photo<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Booth, who called himself \u201cThe General,\u201d fashioned his Army on Britain\u2019s military. From the start, his \u201csoldiers\u201d wore uniforms and they described their mission in martial terms. Salvationists marched through the streets of London\u2019s East End<\/a>, a neighborhood of poor immigrants, with brass bands and female preachers. Booth and his followers also pursued \u201csinners\u201d and frequently preached in bars, brothels and theaters. <\/p>\n

Booth\u2019s plan was to send his army worldwide, and his first stop was the United States. One of his early recruits had migrated to Philadelphia, and wrote to Booth<\/a> about the residents\u2019 need for salvation. In 1880, a small party of British Salvationists debarked at Castle Garden<\/a>, New York\u2019s first immigration center. The group immediately started singing hymns set to popular melodies and marching through lower Manhattan. <\/p>\n

During the next few days, the English \u201csoldiers\u201d tacked up posters<\/a>, similar to ads for commercial entertainments, for a prayer service at Harry Hill\u2019s, a popular dance hall, theater and saloon. The venue was not only thick with drunkards, prostitutes and pleasure seekers, its unlikeliness as a religious meeting place guaranteed press attention<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Such unexpected behavior did bring the Army to the public\u2019s attention. Their boisterousness, even in service of saving souls, was criticized by New York\u2019s clergy and ridiculed in newspapers and magazines<\/a>. That the Army featured female preachers at a time when most Protestant groups did not ordain women only added to its notoriety. <\/p>\n

But the Army did not surrender. Pressing their \u201cinvasion\u201d beyond New York City, the soldiers traveled first to Philadelphia and later nationwide. Their exuberance attracted young people and women to the cause. <\/p>\n

Young people liked the notion of a military crusade for religious purposes, and women joined because the Army offered them positions of leadership and authority<\/a>. In fact, William Booth\u2019s daughter-in-law, Maud Ballington,<\/a> followed by his two daughters, Emma<\/a> and Evangeline<\/a>, headed the American Salvation Army from 1887 to 1950. <\/p>\n

Kettles for Christmas dinner<\/h2>\n

In both Britain and the U.S., Salvationists saw their mission as twofold: converting sinners and assisting the needy. <\/p>\n

In the Army\u2019s perspective<\/a>, the two went hand in hand, which is why members opened shelters for addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes. Yet they also sought to aid \u201cdown and outers,\u201d their name for the needy. Among their early outreaches were Christmas dinners for the urban poor. But finding funds for food and gifts was difficult.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"
\n Salvation Army mini Red Kettle and bell at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State park.<\/span>
\n Robin Wendell\/Flickr.com<\/a>, CC BY<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By 1891, Salvationists had outposts nationwide. In San Francisco, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was eager to serve a Christmas feast for a thousand of the city\u2019s poorest residents. Frustrated by his lack of success, he decided to improvise<\/a>. Grabbing a crab pot from the local wharf, he hung it from a tripod at a busy intersection. Above the pot was a sign: \u201cFill the Pot for the Poor \u2013 Free Dinner on Christmas Day.\u201d McFee\u2019s campaign was a success. <\/p>\n

Word spread and the kettles soon provided Christmas dinners<\/a> for thousands nationwide. <\/p>\n

The kettle also helped rehabilitate the Army\u2019s image<\/a>. Instead of seeing Salvationists as an unruly pack of religious rebels, many Americans recognized their work with the poor. At a time when neither state nor federal governments provided a social safety net, the Army offered<\/a> meals, beds, work and medical facilities to destitute men and women. <\/p>\n

But it was the Salvationists\u2019 service in World War I that sealed the deal. Eager to support the American war effort, Salvation Army leaders sent \u201cSallies,\u201d the popular nickname for Army women, to the French front. The Sallies set up huts where they fried donuts<\/a>, sewed buttons, wrote letters and otherwise \u201cmothered\u201d the troops.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s faith, fortitude and friendship touched many young soldiers. One wrote in his letter home:<\/a> <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThese good women create an atmosphere that reminds us of home, and out of the millions of men over there not one ever dreams of offering the slightest sign of disrespect or lack of consideration to these wonderful women.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

By the war\u2019s end, the Army had become a symbol of American humanitarianism, and fundraising was much easier. But after the 1920s, the Army\u2019s evangelical crusade took a back seat to social service delivery, at least in their public relations. It was easier to raise money for helping the poor than for converting them. <\/p>\n

Despite challenges, an American icon<\/h2>\n

Today, many contributors do not realize the Army is a church<\/a>, a fact that has caused many Army leaders consternation. <\/p>\n

And, much like other churches, its growth has stalled. Since 2000, it only has approximately 90,000 members<\/a>. Nonetheless, it continues to deliver social services nationwide. In 2017<\/a>, according to its own records, the Army served over 50 million meals, operated 141 rehabilitation centers and provided shelter for almost 10 million people. It also provided adult and child day care, job assistance, disaster relief, medical care and community centers. <\/p>\n

But like any other long-established institution, the Army has its challenges. Most recently, LGBT groups alleged<\/a> discrimination<\/a> in service provision and in hiring. <\/p>\n

The Army has responded<\/a> with its own statements of how it is \u201copen and inclusive to all people.\u201d <\/p>\n

It also faces new problems ranging from a shortage<\/a> of bell ringers in some cities to fewer kettle contributions<\/a> as people carry less cash<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"
\n \u2018Guys and Dolls\u2019 musical.<\/span>
\n Poughkeepsie Day School\/Flickr.com<\/a>, CC BY-NC-ND<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yet the Army remains a familiar symbol for religious and philanthropic outreach. Each year, when high school and college actors perform \u201cGuys and Dolls,\u201d the Army graces American stages. This popular musical, inspired by a real-life Salvationist, captures the missionaries\u2019 zealous dedication<\/a>. And this holiday season, Grammy-award winning singer Meghan Trainer kicked off the 2018 Red Kettle Campaign<\/a> during the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 Thanksgiving Day game halftime show.<\/p>\n

Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee\u2019s legacy lives on \u2013 providing inspiration to millions of Americans, whether they care about religion or not.\"The<\/p>\n

Diane Winston<\/a>, Associate Professor and Knight Center Chair in Media & Religion, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diane Winston, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Tinseled trees and snowy landscapes are not the only signs of the upcoming holiday season. Red kettles, staffed by men and women in street clothes, Santa suits and Salvation Army uniforms also telegraph Christmastime. The Army is among America\u2019s top-grossing charities. In 2015, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":14647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2450],"tags":[2522,1722,387,5605,1725,5478,3945,2181,3050,2526,3553,5604,5606,2128],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14651"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14651"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14652,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14651\/revisions\/14652"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}